Page 305 of Mafia Kings: Valentino

And Ludavica pressed her lips together as tears filled her eyes.

I know how you feel,I thought.

Then Isabella turned to me and pulled back her veil.

She looked very pretty. She wore only minimal makeup, and her hair was done.

She smiled haltingly at me like,I’m sorry.

I managed to give her a half-smile back.It’s not your fault.

Then the priest began to speak.

“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

Everyone in the pews responded, “Amen.”

And that’s when my life started to slip away right in front of my eyes.

112

Caterina

The priest started to speak.

At that point, my heart wasn’t just breaking –

It felt like it might explode from fear.

This is it.

This is the moment to do it –

This is when I should run out there and yell, ‘He can’t marry her – because he loves ME!’

But I didn’t.

I couldn’t move.

I just sat there, terrified, and silently wept.

113

Valentino

The priest started reading Bible verses. All about God making man in his image, then creating woman…

There was other stuff, but I tuned it out.

All I could think about was Cat and how I could’ve married her back home.

About how she knew I’d said ‘no’ when Dario offered me a chance…

And how that must have broken her heart.

But she still stuck by me.

She risked everything to come to Sicily to be with me.

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